KARACHI, Aug 23: The national conference on “Right to Know” concluded on Wednesday with the notion that there should be an intensive and persuasive media campaign to ensure free access to information.

The conference which was organised by the Mass Communication Department of the Federal Urdu University for Arts, Science and Technology, also resolved that “access to Information Ordinance” should be made comprehensive and all exceptions be eliminated from it. There should be training programmes for law enforcing agencies and other government officials on the right to know, the conference recommended.

The concluding session of the conference was attended among others by the deputy chairman of Urdu university senate Dr Fatah Mohammad Malik, poet and columnist Jameeluddin Aali, Urdu varsity’s vice-chancellor Dr Kamaluddin.

It was stressed that there should be uniformity in the details of laws pertaining to right to know at federal and provincial levels, while public should be given the right to appeal in the high courts against any denial to supply of information. It was also recommended that ‘Right to Know’ should be included in the list compulsory subjects. Besides, political, religious and other parties were urged to incorporate the ‘Right to Know’ at the top of their manifestos.

Speaking at one of the technical sessions of the conference, I.A. Rehman said that right to know was not only about an event at hand but it also covered right to know about the causes and the repercussions of an event. He said that formulation of laws in regard to access to information should be done through the parliament only.

During a session on the state of investigative reporting, it was viewed that investigating reporting demanded time and full devotion of reporters and editor, which remained mostly unfulfilled in the era of growing commercialism.

At another session, one of the speakers said that provision of information to media was basically the responsibility of government.

Talking about the electronic media practices in the country, another speaker said that much of the content was being produced on the pattern of Indian programmes without exercising any critical judgment.